ACRONYMS National Statistics Institute
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24 July 2025

Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS)

Second Quarter 2025

Main results

  • The number of people in employment increased by 503,300 compared with the previous quarter to 22,268,700. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly variation rate was 0.68%. Employment has increased by 584,000 in the last 12 months.
  • Unemployment decreased by 236,100 persons to 2,553,100. In seasonally adjusted terms it decreased by 2.18%. In the last 12 months, it decreased by 202,200 people.
  • This quarter, the unemployment rate was 10.29%, 1.07 points lower than in the previous quarter.
  • The number of active workers grew by 267,200, reaching 24,821,800. Over the past year, it increased by 381,800 people.

The number of employed persons increased by 503,300 persons in the second quarter of 2025 and stood at 22,268,700. The quarterly variation rate was 2.31%.

Variation of employment in the second quarter compared with the first of the same year

Thousands 

By gender, employment increased this quarter by 265,800 men and 237,500 women. By nationality, it increased by 387,700 among Spaniards, including those who hold dual nationality, and by 115,600 among foreign nationals.

Unemployment increased this quarter in all sectors: Services (364,800 more), Industry (90,300), Construction (45,400) and Agriculture (2,800).

Full-time employment increased by 485,300 persons. Part-time employment increased by 18,000. On the other hand, the number of employees increased by 479,300: those with permanent contracts increased by 354,600 and those with temporary contracts by 124,700. The number of self-employed workers increased by 23,600 persons.

Private employment increased by 480,500 persons, reaching 18,746,800. And public employment by 22,900 to 3,521,900.

In the past 12 months, employment increased by 584,000 people (2.69%), with increases of 282,800 among men and 301,300 among women. By sector, the largest increase was in Services (429,200 more persons employed).

In the past 12 months, full-time employment increased by 432,700 persons and part-time employment by 151,300. On the other hand, permanent employment increased by 558,600 persons, while temporary employment decreased by 21,000.

Unemployment and unemployment rate

This quarter, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 236,100 to 2,553,100. The quarterly variation in unemployment was -8.47%.

Variation of unemployment in the second quarter compared with the first of the same year

Thousands

The unemployment rate decreased by 1.07 points and stood at 10.29%.

By gender, the number of unemployed men decreased by 107,000 this quarter and the number of unemployed women by 129,100. The unemployment rate for women decreased by 1.22 points to 11.50% and for men by 94 hundredths of a point to 9.20%.

By nationality, unemployment decreased by 203,200 among Spaniards, including those with dual nationality, while it increased by 32,900 among foreign nationals.

Unemployment increased this quarter in Industry (3,800 more). And it decreased in Agriculture (-7,500 less), Construction (-15,500) and Services (-178,500).

Unemployment decreased by 42,100 among those who lost their job more than a year ago and increased by 3,700 among those seeking their first job.

In the past 12 months, the total number of unemployed decreased by 202,200 persons (96,500 men and 105,800 women). The annual variation was -7.34%.

By sector, unemployment decreased last year in Services (down by 91,700) and Construction (-14,300), and increased in Industry (5,900 more) and in Agriculture (1,600). On the other hand, the number of unemployed persons who lost their jobs over a year ago decreased by 83,000 and that of unemployed persons looking for their first job by 20,700.

Economically active population and activity rate

The economically active population increased by 267,200 persons in this quarter to 24,821,800. The number of economically active women increased by 108,400 and that of men by 158,800.

By nationality, the number of active persons increased in the last quarter by 184,500 among Spaniards and by 82,700 among foreigners.

The participation rate increased by 46 hundredths of a percentage point to 59.03%. The Spaniards’ rate decreased by 47 hundredths to 57.34% and that of foreign nationals by 24 hundredths to 69.31%. The different age structure is the main reason for the difference between the two.

In annual terms, the economically active population increased by 381,800 persons (1.56% more).

Households

Households where all active members are unemployed decreased by 86,100 this quarter, to 796,900. On the other hand, households with all economically active members employed increased by 290,300 to 12,072,000.

In the last 12 months, the number of households with at least one economically active member in which those members were unemployed decreased by 71,400, while those where all active members were employed increased by 306,200.

Results by autonomous communities and provincial data

The largest increase in employment this quarter was in Cataluña (up 94,600). And the largest decrease was in Cantabria (-2,200). In relative terms, the highest increase was in the Balearic Islands (16.56%) -the LFS figures are presented according to the community of residence of the respondent, not the location of the workplace-.

In terms of unemployment, the largest decrease was recorded in Comunidad de Madrid (- 51,800). And the largest increase in Castilla-La Mancha and Comunidad Foral de Navarra (2,000 more in each).

Cantabria recorded the lowest unemployment rate this quarter (7.10%). And Extremadura, the highest (15.48%).

At the provincial level, a summary of the results can be found in this document and all the information is available via this link.

Seasonally adjusted series

The seasonally adjusted quarterly variation rate of employment was 0.68%.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted employment

Percentage

As regards seasonally-adjusted unemployment results, a decrease of 2.18% was observed.

Quarterly variation rate of seasonally adjusted unemployment

Percentage

The seasonally adjusted model and the employment and unemployment series can be found at this link.

Data revisions and updates

During 2025 the LFS will continue to use the CNAE-2009 classification of economic activities. The new classification CNAE-2025 will be implemented from the first quarter of 2026, the time set by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/137 to provide data with this classification for the labour force scope subject to Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

The data published today are final. All the results of this operation are available at INEbase.

Methodological note

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) has been carried out since 1964. Its current methodology from 2021 onwards adapts the previous methodology to the new European Labour Force Survey regulations.

It is a continuous, quarterly research activity addressed to families, whose main purpose is to obtain data on the labour force and its various categories (employed, unemployed), as well as on the population outside the labour market (inactive).

As of the third quarter of 2009, the survey includes an additional sample in Galicia that is collected by the Galician Statistics Institute (IGE), using the same fieldwork system and methodology as the INE. This sample will no longer form part of the survey from the third quarter of 2025, as it has been agreed to terminate the agreement after its expiry.

Type of survey:
quarterly continuous survey.
Population scope:
population residing in family homes.
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory.
Reference period of the results:
the quarter.
Reference period of the information:
the week before the interview.
Sample size:
The number of census tracts was 5,298, of which 288 were the additional sample from Galicia. The average number of homes selected per section was 14. Currently there are around 50,000 dwellings and 120,000 people.
Sample type:
two-stage stratification in the first stage units, i.e. census tracts. The second-stage units are inhabited family dwellings.
Collection method:
personal, telephone and web interviews.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardized methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information in Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.

For further information see Inicio INEbase Official INE account on @es_ine
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